Happiest of birthdays to our favorite little girl!
Ellie's One Year Pics
7/15/16
We decided we wanted professional pictures for Ellie's birthday, and we could not have been happier with how these turned out! CameraShy in Gardner Village did an incredible job!
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Eleanor {7 Months}
2/8/16
Climbing and chewing on walls, chairs, the coffee table, piano... everything
Has the cutest mohawk
Loves peaches, but also eats sweet potatoes, avocados, bananas, and apples
Two bottom teeth
Crazy fast crawler... her little moves are so mechanical
Dare devil!
Pulling herself up on the couch, coffee table, and chairs and then lets go with one hand
Loves to jump
Napping so much better and getting better at sleeping at night, still up every 2-3 hours.
Loves to chat and sing and makes the best faces
Gallbladder
10/15/15
I was 25 weeks pregnant. I'd just gotten out of the hospital the day before with kidney stones. We had a full weekend planned with our friends down in San Diego, but first we hit up the Lakers/Jazz game in LA. We ate at Smash Burger, went to the game, and then drove about an hour to our hotel. The whole night I had this bad feeling in my back that came with the intense need to crack it. When we got to the hotel, the need to crack my back was so bad but I couldn't do it simply by twisting. So I went downstairs (the hotel was really a little house) and found a chair and leaned over it backwards. The pain intensified and I could not figure out why. I got into bed and suffered through the pain for an hour or two before telling Derek. He held me for a bit while I sobbed and then rubbed my back. It eventually subsided and after research, I thought for sure I just had a rib out of place and I was having a muscle spasm.
Then, after delivering Ellie, I had 4 more episodes like this. These episodes seemed huge, but looking back, they were tiny episodes. I was able to lay on a heating pad, take ibuprofen, relax, and it would go away after an hour or so.
My mom came to visit at the end of August. My 6th episode or attack. We went out to dinner and by the time we got home, the pain was more intense than anything I'd ever felt. It felt like childbirth ON pitocin but in my chest. I ended up throwing up and my mom had the idea to get in the shower. It calmed down pretty quickly while in the shower.
Then, a few weeks later, my 7th attack. We'd just had corn on the cob and steak. We were watching The Great Food Truck Race and I knew this attack was worse than any I'd had before. I took ibuprofen and jumped in the hottest shower I could stand, but it wasn't doing a thing for me. I was in the shower about an hour and was writhing in pain in between throwing up over the side of the shower. Derek kept telling me to get out and he'd rush me to the ER but I thought for sure I'd die on the way there. I had to stay in the shower. Finally, it subsided a bit and I was able to get out. We decided to call the nurse advice line and she told me to immediately hang up the phone and call 911. I thought for sure I was dying. The paramedics, ambulance, fire truck, and police car were in front of my house within 90 seconds. They took my vitals and did an EKG and decided that since my vitals were fine and my heart was fine, that it would be a waste of my time to go to the ER. They told me to go in and get ultrasounds and figure it out with my regular doctor.
So that's what I did. But I had to wait several weeks for an appointment. In that time, I explained to a friend what I was experiencing and she told me she had the same experiences with her gallbladder. I never would have ever suspected my gallbladder was causing this issue. I barely knew we had gallbladders and definitely didn't know what they did! I started to notice pain when I ate fatty foods. By the time I got my appointment and ultrasound I was almost positive I had gallstones and biliary colic. I went in for my ultrasound and the tech said "You didn't hear this from me, but you have a lot of tiny gallstones." Music to my ears. I finally knew what was causing me so much pain!
Then.... my 8th and final attack. It was the Saturday of conference weekend. A new friend had invited me to a craft night and I decided to go since Derek would be at priesthood session. I got ready and packed Ellie up and we drove an hour to her house. I fed her, picked out my wooden pumpkins and paint, and sat down to paint and chat. I had barely gotten through half a pumpkin when I just knew another attack was coming. I tried to keep up the conversation but I was hot and in a cold sweat. I asked her for ibuprofen and explained my gallbladder issues. I asked her for her bathroom in case I started not feeling well. I came back and awkwardly asked her if I could get in her shower. New friend. Craft night. And I'm jumping in her shower! I felt so insane. The shower felt nice but wasn't helping. I decided I had to get out and relieve them of baby duties. But when I got out to her living room, I was writhing in pain and could not sit still. They convinced me to leave the baby with them, they'd get her formula (this was the only thing holding me back from going in), and they'd take me to the ER where Derek could meet me. I was in so much pain it didn't take long for them to convince me. She rushed me there and Derek met us there right away. They got me on a gurney in the back and I had to wait quite awhile. The pain had subsided and I was losing my mind knowing that Ellie was with somebody she didn't know and was not taking the bottle of formula. So I sent Derek to get her, take her home, and feed her the milk I had in the freezer. She didn't handle that well at all either. Finally the doctor came in to tell me that I had gallstones and elevated liver enzymes. She wanted to take me for surgery right then, but gave me the option to come back later in the week since I had a baby that I needed to make plans for. Of course I took that option and Derek arrived minutes before I was discharged. She'd fallen asleep but was all smiles when she woke up. I fed her and we left to go home. I felt so so sick and told Derek I was positive I should not have left that hospital.
The next morning, I was so sick. We slept in so late and I was rarely out of bed. My urine was brown and my skin was starting to look slightly yellow. Then when I had a fever of 101, we decided I had to go back in. We have a cute lady in our ward that is currently breastfeeding a baby and I trust her with my life... and with Ellie's. We called her up at 11 pm and she was so excited to take her for us. We packed her up with everything she'd need and then headed to the hospital. When we were seen by the doctor in the ER, he asked me what I wanted from him. He laughed and made fun of me when I told him I wanted my gallbladder removed. "It doesn't work like that, you know that right?" I explained to him that the doctor the night before said I needed it removed right away and I came back in because I had all of the symptoms we were supposed to be on alert for. He decided he'd run my labs and ultrasound again just to make me happy. After waiting an hour, he called me back and told me it was "{my}lucky day. Well not {my} lucky day, but {I was} going to get what I came in for." He said my liver enzymes were "astronomically" high and my gallbladder needed to be removed ASAP. They put me in a room and got me all hooked up while we waited for a bed upstairs. I went in for another ultrasound, and MRI, an XRAY, and then a nuclear imaging test. Finally I had a bed upstairs and they got me admitted. After another nuclear imaging test, they found that a stone was blocking my liver and delaying release into my gallbladder. Surgery was scheduled for 7:30 am Tuesday morning. Derek went home to get Ellie and shower and since the nurses told me she could come stay with me, he brought her back. I cried hearing her little bell on her carseat down the hall. He got her out and she cracked the biggest smile the second she made eye contact with me. It was the best! She spent a few hours with me and then he took her home so they could sleep and be in their normal place. Derek dropped her off again the next morning and met me right before surgery. They wheeled me into the pre op room and got me all prepped. Then they wheeled me into the operating room. It was just like what you see in the movies. White. Big lights. Tiny table. They had me scoot over to that table and then gave me something in my IV to "help me relax before the anesthesia", but that's all I remember. I remember waking up and telling my nurses they were pretty. Derek said it was pretty funny! Then they took me back to my room and gave me morphine before the anesthesia wore off. I could tell when it did wear off because I was in an excruciating amount of pain in my rib cage and my right shoulder. I was sobbing and asking for more drugs because the morphine wasn't working. Those quickly helped and it only hurt to move- like I'd done 5 million pushups the day before. It was awful. I slept for awhile and then Derek brought Ellie back. I loved seeing her, but it was so tough to not be able to feed her and hold her. He took her home a little while later and I TRIED to sleep, but was in so much pain and watched the clock for the next time I could have more pain meds. Derek brought El back the next morning and we just kinda hung out in the hospital. The nurses loved El and were in our room all morning. I had to prove I could walk a lot and they upgraded my meal plan from jello and broth to rice and green beans. Finally they let me go home, but the moment we got home, I wished I was back in the hospital. Laying horizontally was like death because of air bubbles in my shoulder. Derek was able to get the next day off of work which was so nice and my awesome mother in law flew in that night to help us through the weekend. It was so great to have her company and her help! And I'm so grateful to not have a gallbladder anymore! The fear of eating has gone and I've been feeling so great ever since!
I was so grateful for these sweet pictures from our amazing friend that kept Ellie for us
It was a miracle she took a bottle, she didn't before and hasn't since so I'm glad its documented
Then, after delivering Ellie, I had 4 more episodes like this. These episodes seemed huge, but looking back, they were tiny episodes. I was able to lay on a heating pad, take ibuprofen, relax, and it would go away after an hour or so.
My mom came to visit at the end of August. My 6th episode or attack. We went out to dinner and by the time we got home, the pain was more intense than anything I'd ever felt. It felt like childbirth ON pitocin but in my chest. I ended up throwing up and my mom had the idea to get in the shower. It calmed down pretty quickly while in the shower.
Then, a few weeks later, my 7th attack. We'd just had corn on the cob and steak. We were watching The Great Food Truck Race and I knew this attack was worse than any I'd had before. I took ibuprofen and jumped in the hottest shower I could stand, but it wasn't doing a thing for me. I was in the shower about an hour and was writhing in pain in between throwing up over the side of the shower. Derek kept telling me to get out and he'd rush me to the ER but I thought for sure I'd die on the way there. I had to stay in the shower. Finally, it subsided a bit and I was able to get out. We decided to call the nurse advice line and she told me to immediately hang up the phone and call 911. I thought for sure I was dying. The paramedics, ambulance, fire truck, and police car were in front of my house within 90 seconds. They took my vitals and did an EKG and decided that since my vitals were fine and my heart was fine, that it would be a waste of my time to go to the ER. They told me to go in and get ultrasounds and figure it out with my regular doctor.
So that's what I did. But I had to wait several weeks for an appointment. In that time, I explained to a friend what I was experiencing and she told me she had the same experiences with her gallbladder. I never would have ever suspected my gallbladder was causing this issue. I barely knew we had gallbladders and definitely didn't know what they did! I started to notice pain when I ate fatty foods. By the time I got my appointment and ultrasound I was almost positive I had gallstones and biliary colic. I went in for my ultrasound and the tech said "You didn't hear this from me, but you have a lot of tiny gallstones." Music to my ears. I finally knew what was causing me so much pain!
Then.... my 8th and final attack. It was the Saturday of conference weekend. A new friend had invited me to a craft night and I decided to go since Derek would be at priesthood session. I got ready and packed Ellie up and we drove an hour to her house. I fed her, picked out my wooden pumpkins and paint, and sat down to paint and chat. I had barely gotten through half a pumpkin when I just knew another attack was coming. I tried to keep up the conversation but I was hot and in a cold sweat. I asked her for ibuprofen and explained my gallbladder issues. I asked her for her bathroom in case I started not feeling well. I came back and awkwardly asked her if I could get in her shower. New friend. Craft night. And I'm jumping in her shower! I felt so insane. The shower felt nice but wasn't helping. I decided I had to get out and relieve them of baby duties. But when I got out to her living room, I was writhing in pain and could not sit still. They convinced me to leave the baby with them, they'd get her formula (this was the only thing holding me back from going in), and they'd take me to the ER where Derek could meet me. I was in so much pain it didn't take long for them to convince me. She rushed me there and Derek met us there right away. They got me on a gurney in the back and I had to wait quite awhile. The pain had subsided and I was losing my mind knowing that Ellie was with somebody she didn't know and was not taking the bottle of formula. So I sent Derek to get her, take her home, and feed her the milk I had in the freezer. She didn't handle that well at all either. Finally the doctor came in to tell me that I had gallstones and elevated liver enzymes. She wanted to take me for surgery right then, but gave me the option to come back later in the week since I had a baby that I needed to make plans for. Of course I took that option and Derek arrived minutes before I was discharged. She'd fallen asleep but was all smiles when she woke up. I fed her and we left to go home. I felt so so sick and told Derek I was positive I should not have left that hospital.
The next morning, I was so sick. We slept in so late and I was rarely out of bed. My urine was brown and my skin was starting to look slightly yellow. Then when I had a fever of 101, we decided I had to go back in. We have a cute lady in our ward that is currently breastfeeding a baby and I trust her with my life... and with Ellie's. We called her up at 11 pm and she was so excited to take her for us. We packed her up with everything she'd need and then headed to the hospital. When we were seen by the doctor in the ER, he asked me what I wanted from him. He laughed and made fun of me when I told him I wanted my gallbladder removed. "It doesn't work like that, you know that right?" I explained to him that the doctor the night before said I needed it removed right away and I came back in because I had all of the symptoms we were supposed to be on alert for. He decided he'd run my labs and ultrasound again just to make me happy. After waiting an hour, he called me back and told me it was "{my}lucky day. Well not {my} lucky day, but {I was} going to get what I came in for." He said my liver enzymes were "astronomically" high and my gallbladder needed to be removed ASAP. They put me in a room and got me all hooked up while we waited for a bed upstairs. I went in for another ultrasound, and MRI, an XRAY, and then a nuclear imaging test. Finally I had a bed upstairs and they got me admitted. After another nuclear imaging test, they found that a stone was blocking my liver and delaying release into my gallbladder. Surgery was scheduled for 7:30 am Tuesday morning. Derek went home to get Ellie and shower and since the nurses told me she could come stay with me, he brought her back. I cried hearing her little bell on her carseat down the hall. He got her out and she cracked the biggest smile the second she made eye contact with me. It was the best! She spent a few hours with me and then he took her home so they could sleep and be in their normal place. Derek dropped her off again the next morning and met me right before surgery. They wheeled me into the pre op room and got me all prepped. Then they wheeled me into the operating room. It was just like what you see in the movies. White. Big lights. Tiny table. They had me scoot over to that table and then gave me something in my IV to "help me relax before the anesthesia", but that's all I remember. I remember waking up and telling my nurses they were pretty. Derek said it was pretty funny! Then they took me back to my room and gave me morphine before the anesthesia wore off. I could tell when it did wear off because I was in an excruciating amount of pain in my rib cage and my right shoulder. I was sobbing and asking for more drugs because the morphine wasn't working. Those quickly helped and it only hurt to move- like I'd done 5 million pushups the day before. It was awful. I slept for awhile and then Derek brought Ellie back. I loved seeing her, but it was so tough to not be able to feed her and hold her. He took her home a little while later and I TRIED to sleep, but was in so much pain and watched the clock for the next time I could have more pain meds. Derek brought El back the next morning and we just kinda hung out in the hospital. The nurses loved El and were in our room all morning. I had to prove I could walk a lot and they upgraded my meal plan from jello and broth to rice and green beans. Finally they let me go home, but the moment we got home, I wished I was back in the hospital. Laying horizontally was like death because of air bubbles in my shoulder. Derek was able to get the next day off of work which was so nice and my awesome mother in law flew in that night to help us through the weekend. It was so great to have her company and her help! And I'm so grateful to not have a gallbladder anymore! The fear of eating has gone and I've been feeling so great ever since!
I was so grateful for these sweet pictures from our amazing friend that kept Ellie for us
I love how they're holding hands in the left and then suddenly in the right they're not and they look like they've been caught! Favorite babies!
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